bobsedor
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Anyone familiar with their MIG welders? The MIG 140 seems like a good value at $716. Much more machine than the Hobart 175 for instance and only uses 115 volts instead of 230.
HTP Welders
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Anonymous Poster
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Go Lincoln or miller and never look back in regrett.
When they manufacture a welder to sell at half the price of a real machine they have to leave something out.
You don't need digital readouts to make a good solid welder, but you do need a good power supply, feed roller system and gun.
When they manufacture a welder to sell at half the price of a real machine they have to leave something out.
You don't need digital readouts to make a good solid welder, but you do need a good power supply, feed roller system and gun.
Hoeman00
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And lots of COPPER.
Rch
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Buying a welder
Bob, see recent discussion re buying a welder. Buying the right thing the first time is one advantage of this forum. I'd seriously consider a 230 volt which will enable you to handle 1/4" steel. On a MIG there are consumable tips, etc that are readily available with Miller/Hobart and,especially Lincoln (Tweeco)
Bob, see recent discussion re buying a welder. Buying the right thing the first time is one advantage of this forum. I'd seriously consider a 230 volt which will enable you to handle 1/4" steel. On a MIG there are consumable tips, etc that are readily available with Miller/Hobart and,especially Lincoln (Tweeco)
I have been following the previous threads. Here are some comments from an email conversation that I had with a guy at HTP.
Bob, If you would like to compare apples to apples the Hobart 135 is allot closer to our HTP Mig 120. Take a closer look at the specs on the Hobart 135, The Hobart 135 has a 20% duty cycle at 90 amp output, That right there tells me that the Hobart 135 is a 90 amp unit with a bigger name to make you think it is 135 amp machine. Miller & Lincoln & Hobart all play the name game with there smaller machines, All three of there 135 machines all have the same 90 amp output with a 20% duty cycle, Very deceiving in my opinion. Our HTP Mig 120 has a 20% duty cycle at 120 amp output our 120 machine is twice the machine the Hobart 135 is. Take a look at our wire feed comparison on our website if you get a chance. The HTP mig 140 compares better to the Miller or Hobart 175 machine, The Miller & Hobart are both 130 amp with a 20% duty cycle, Again very deceiving. The Hobart 135 or 175 do not come with a cart with wheels & the 140 also has a spot, stitch & pause timer which are ideal for thin gauge sheet metal welding.
Their website is www.usawelds.com. I see the machine is much heavier than either the Miller or the Hobart which might mean more copper! web page
The HTP MIG 140 compares in price to the Hobart 175, only uses 115 volts instead of 230 and puts out more amps!
Bob, If you would like to compare apples to apples the Hobart 135 is allot closer to our HTP Mig 120. Take a closer look at the specs on the Hobart 135, The Hobart 135 has a 20% duty cycle at 90 amp output, That right there tells me that the Hobart 135 is a 90 amp unit with a bigger name to make you think it is 135 amp machine. Miller & Lincoln & Hobart all play the name game with there smaller machines, All three of there 135 machines all have the same 90 amp output with a 20% duty cycle, Very deceiving in my opinion. Our HTP Mig 120 has a 20% duty cycle at 120 amp output our 120 machine is twice the machine the Hobart 135 is. Take a look at our wire feed comparison on our website if you get a chance. The HTP mig 140 compares better to the Miller or Hobart 175 machine, The Miller & Hobart are both 130 amp with a 20% duty cycle, Again very deceiving. The Hobart 135 or 175 do not come with a cart with wheels & the 140 also has a spot, stitch & pause timer which are ideal for thin gauge sheet metal welding.
Their website is www.usawelds.com. I see the machine is much heavier than either the Miller or the Hobart which might mean more copper! web page
The HTP MIG 140 compares in price to the Hobart 175, only uses 115 volts instead of 230 and puts out more amps!
Anonymous Poster
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Not too many years ago, I started looking for a mig. A friend of mine, senior pattern designer at Southbridge sheet metal, (big operation), told me to forget getting the 115 migs regardless of brand name. Told me to bite the bullet only once, and get a 230 fired Lincoln/Miller and get it over with. I think then about 2400.00 I can't remember half the reason he stated, but, all were convincing to me. This guy started when migs came out on the market, so, I respect what he tells me. I didn't get that mig, but, if and when I do, it will be as he suggests for the time.
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Bob....Lamarbur has it right.. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif....don't be fooled by the "convenience" of 120VC power. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif It will SEVERLY limit the work that you can do. /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gifVERY FEW homes and garages have what it takes to furnish 120V power to one of those machines (PLUS you have to have a special hvy extension cord) when you have it on the highest notch. You may have noticed that on some of the machines there is a HIGH and LOW setting. That is for the INPUT power. If you HAPPEN to have a special hookup where you have 120V at 30 AMPS you can weld on HIGH, but if you don't have such a setup, it's exhaust pipe thickness for you, buddy. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif Also, as was mentioned, LOOK AT THE GUN that they furnish. A TWECO or a Tweco clone is the only way to go.....peer-e-o-do. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif By the time you pay an ace electrician like me to run a heavy 120V dedicated circuit for you, and buy a special hvy extension cord, you could set up for 220V and have a better setup. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif Far be it from me to advocate any kind of electrical "boot legging", but an electric dryer does have 120V 30 AMP capability; using one leg and neutral; if you made the right plug-in setup for a 120V welder to plug into your wife's clothes dryer.. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif
Anonymous Poster
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the garage we had at that time, when we owned that particular home, was set up with two 220 lines.. I forget the costs, but it wasn't earth shattering. I was fortunate to have the utility pole only 50 feet away. My friend used one 220 line frequently for his stick welder. A lot of his reasoning was just stated above. There were many more that will come to me as people post here I am sure.
Anonymous Poster
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"The Hobart 135 or 175 do not come with a cart with wheels & the 140 also has a spot, stitch & pause timer which are ideal for thin gauge sheet metal welding. "
WHOOP DE DOO! In over 40 years of burnin welding rods & wire, I have yet to see a factory cart that was worth a fart in a windstorm. That includes Miller, Lincoln and P&H.
Lets come at this from a different viewpoint.
The guy telling you all about his spot & stitch timers is peddlin you crap you will never use. My Miller 225 is over 20 years old, and has spot and stitch capability, it's called the trigger on the gun, and it's operated by a weldOr behind the hood. Unless you are planning to run the machine on a robot, spot and stitch are useless functions.
20% duty cycle means you can weld 2 minutes out of every 10 minutes without overheating the machine. For the average guy, this will pretty much work out since welding usually involves more time setting things up to be welded than it does actually welding.
Welder manufacturers, battery charger manufacturers, and Chinese Prisoners can all build something that looks like a welder, and all of them have figured out they can sell a lot of unneeded crap to people who think they can buy a machine and instantly become a weldOr. There are more of these machines sold to sit in garages unused than I could count, and while they are good for the economy and the bottom line at the box store, less than 1% of them are good for the guy who paid for them. I see more postings on how to preset the machine than I can count, from guys who bought a box, and who will never make a decent weld, because they believe the weld comes from the machine.
There's an old joke about teaching a chimp to weld with a MIG, and it is fairly true, BUT, welding is dangerous. If you make a bad weld it will break, and it will break at the worst possible time, sometimes killing people. I've watched a guy loose a trailer because he "welded" his hitch. The weld sure looked good, BUT, it wasn't a weld. MIG welds are deceptive, especially when done by unskiller operators.
BEFORE you buy any welder, go learn the basics of welding at your local community college or VoTec. At the very least, you'll come away with some idea of the process, and possibly even an understanding of machines. Then, go establish a relationship with a local welding supplier who will let you try machines before you buy them. The dollars "saved" buying a machine over the internet will be forgotten long before the greif of not having a supplier who will be there to help you.
WHOOP DE DOO! In over 40 years of burnin welding rods & wire, I have yet to see a factory cart that was worth a fart in a windstorm. That includes Miller, Lincoln and P&H.
Lets come at this from a different viewpoint.
The guy telling you all about his spot & stitch timers is peddlin you crap you will never use. My Miller 225 is over 20 years old, and has spot and stitch capability, it's called the trigger on the gun, and it's operated by a weldOr behind the hood. Unless you are planning to run the machine on a robot, spot and stitch are useless functions.
20% duty cycle means you can weld 2 minutes out of every 10 minutes without overheating the machine. For the average guy, this will pretty much work out since welding usually involves more time setting things up to be welded than it does actually welding.
Welder manufacturers, battery charger manufacturers, and Chinese Prisoners can all build something that looks like a welder, and all of them have figured out they can sell a lot of unneeded crap to people who think they can buy a machine and instantly become a weldOr. There are more of these machines sold to sit in garages unused than I could count, and while they are good for the economy and the bottom line at the box store, less than 1% of them are good for the guy who paid for them. I see more postings on how to preset the machine than I can count, from guys who bought a box, and who will never make a decent weld, because they believe the weld comes from the machine.
There's an old joke about teaching a chimp to weld with a MIG, and it is fairly true, BUT, welding is dangerous. If you make a bad weld it will break, and it will break at the worst possible time, sometimes killing people. I've watched a guy loose a trailer because he "welded" his hitch. The weld sure looked good, BUT, it wasn't a weld. MIG welds are deceptive, especially when done by unskiller operators.
BEFORE you buy any welder, go learn the basics of welding at your local community college or VoTec. At the very least, you'll come away with some idea of the process, and possibly even an understanding of machines. Then, go establish a relationship with a local welding supplier who will let you try machines before you buy them. The dollars "saved" buying a machine over the internet will be forgotten long before the greif of not having a supplier who will be there to help you.
jimgerken
Veteran Member
I use the Miller 135. It DOES weld 1/4" very well. To obtain the weld strength needed to actually effectively use the 1/4" material, I would weld both sides of the material. It is not always necessary, because if the project is properly designed it has a large margin of safety so the welds are not critical. When I weld heavier stuff (seldom), I bevel it to allow penetration, as the welding books and instructors show. HOWEVER, having said all that, I will add that it is very seldom necessary in my garage projects to actually implement the strength of 1/4" steel. I've built tractor attachments for a small CUT, several trailers which are all still in use, and many many other frames, tools, benches, building roof trusses, airplane parts, etc. I sure enjoy the 110V Miller, and can use it with my portable generator (could do this with the 220 version too), can weld everything from 0.030" to 1/4", or 3/8" with some beveling. The money I saved over the 220 model I spent on a plasma cutter. So decide what you will do with it, and if 1/4" and below is your range, do not be afraid of a 90 amp machine. Buy a grinder and at least a cheap bandsaw too right away.
See your local retailer (of several brands) for another viewpoint.
See your local retailer (of several brands) for another viewpoint.
